Nigerians Protest Over Oil Spill Compensation

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has shut down production at one of its Nigerian pumping stations, amid a protest by villagers in the Niger delta region.

Shell officials say villagers surrounded the facility Tuesday after breaking off talks with the company over compensation for an oil spill 20 months ago. Negotiations resumed Wednesday, but there is no word on whether any progress was made in ending the protest.

The officials say the company is trying to negotiate with villagers to reopen the Agbada-One plant, which pumps about 14,000 barrels of oil each day.

Oil production in Nigeria is frequently interrupted because of protests over alleged environmental damage, and demands for more jobs and a greater share of oil revenue.